Poultry light control



2 sheets-shea 1 Filed Feb. ll, 1927 @www May 19, 1931. .1. a. HARRIMAN POULTRY LIGHT CONTROL Filed Feb. 1l,

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l @L1/Erna Patented May 19, 193771 PATENT` OFFICE JOSEPH B. HABRIMAN, OF N'OIRWJIv READING, MASSACHUSETTS PoUL'rRY LIGHT corm'aoL y Application led February 11, 1927. Serial No. 167,546.

For increasing winter egg production, it is customary among many poultrymen to 1lluminate the hen house for a short `time in` the evenings, or early mornings, or both, to enable the hens to bestir themselves and vfill their crops at such times, and thereby to shorten the lengths of their fasts during the long, cold nights.

An early morning yuse of lights'is a quite usual method; a very frequent practice therefor being to arrange an alarm clock to throw on the lights a few hours vbefore daylight; the poultryman switching them off after daylight. While this has the advantage of simplicity, the use of lights in the evening is superior in several respects, among which is the fact that it gives the birds a heavy feed of grain the last thing at night and better enables them to withstand the cold. An evening lunch system is also muchless expensive, inasmuch as it requires but an hour or even less of current consumption, instead of the two or three of morning illumination.

The difliculty in evening illumination is that, if the lights are thrown 0E while the birds are feeding, they have great difficulty in again finding their A roosts in the dark; making it necessary to provide, some method of dimming the lights.

The object of this invention is the construction of automatic means whereby, after the lighting current has been switched on, and suiiicient time has elapsed for proper feeding, a resistance will be cut into the circuit to partially dim the lights, so that a majority of the hens will seek their roosts; then, after ay suitable interval, the lights will be still further dimmed one or more times as a hint to the remaining feeders; and after another short interval, the current will be wholly shut ofl' and the coop left in darkness.

With his poultry house thus equipped, the poultryman needs only to go out to the house after supper at a suitable hour, say seven kor eight oclock; throw a switch to turn on the lights; scatter grain for the evening lunch;

glance about to see that all is well, and then` return tolhis fireside knowing that the i1- 59 lumination will be dimmed and finally shut off without further effort or thought upon his part.

In the drawings forming part of this speciication, Fig. 1 is a plan View, partially in section, illustrating a poultry light controly 55.-

embodying my invention. Fig. 2y is a side sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a View from beneath of the clockwork and part of the associated mechanism. Fig.v 4 is a similar view at another period of its operation.

The main features of the light control consist of a rheostat; clockwork; means operated by the latter for switching into the lighting circuit different degrees of the rheostat resistance, and for cutting out all current therefrom; and means for starting the action of 'the clockwork when the current is switched on, and for stopping the mqtion-of the clockwork at the time the current is switched off.

The rheostat embraces a resistance 1 of well 70 known construction having several taps 2, and supported upon a suitable base 3 adapted to be screwed to a wall or shelf. The clockwork 4, of sturdy construction but needing not to be of an expensive form for accurate timekeeping, is attached to the under surface of the cover 5 of a box 6, which is preferably cast as a part of the base 3, though having a bottom 8 of insulating material. In place of hands, av cam disk 7 is attached to the arbor 90 9 whichmakes a complete revolution once an hour. This disk isperipherally stepped, and receives the vpressure of a lug l0 carried by an arm 11 rigid with the lower end of a spindle 12. Thev latter rises through the cover 5 and is provided with an operating handle 12 whose swing is limited at one end by a stop post 14, as shown in Fig. 2.

Near the bottom of the boX 6 is pivotally' supported a second arm 15 provided with a' 90 spring 16 for pressing it toward one limit of its swing, as the stop 17, and is adapted to swing past and in touch with the contacts 19, 20,21; the arms 11 and 15 being made to move synchronously by means of a pin 22 project- 95 ing from the arm 11 into a hole in the insulation 23 of the arm 15.

The arm 15 is kept in circuit with a Wire 24 by means of a leaf spring 25 pressing thereon throughout its play,as indicated in Fig. l. .10.0

The two contacts 19, 2O are wired-through is wired to one of the taps 2 of thev resistancel unit 1; the terminal tap 32 being wired to the contact 21, which inturn is connected with ythe wire33. Y y

through the actionl of f Consequently, when the handlev13, the arm 15 isswunginto engagement with the contact 21, 'current passes Y directly from theswitchboard 34 through the wire- 24, leaf spring25, arm 15, contact 21,

wire 33 and the lighting units 35 .back to its source, thereby giving to the bulbs full current. vAt the same time, the spring wire 36 which is carried by the armV 11k into engage'- ment with the balance wheel 37, thereby holds the clockwork motionless, so long as the position of the arm was such as to cut out'the lightingcurrent, sets the balance wheel into oscillation andthereby starts the' clockwork into action as the'arm 15 is swung'over to the contact 21.

When the clockwork hasslowly moved the f arm 15 from the contact 21 to the contact 20,

and the plug terminals 28, 29 have been inserted in some pair of theholes 30, the current is forced to pass through more or less of the resistance 1 and to be correspondingly reduced,thereby dimming the lights accordingly. After a few minutes of this dim light,

the clockwork swings the arm 15 to thecontactf19, cutting in more resistance, and still yfurther dimming thelight; which operation is repeated if Vmore than these two degrees of dimming are desired. Then, following the last dimming period', the arm 15y ismoved` to its limit17, thereby switching out all current and leavingthe hen house wholly in the'dark.

The purpose 'of the many socket holes 30 is to adaptthe light-control to different sources and voltages of current, and to different amounts of lighting used in the poultry plant.,l The lesser the resistance desired, as for Y greater amounts of lighting, the nearer the plug terminals 2,8, 29 are to be located to the tap 32. From the latter, the'cu'rrent passes through a Vwire 39 to the contact 2.1, and thence tothe wire 33.

The' clockwork 4, in addition to mainspring 38 and the usual train, embraces ka balance wheelv37, an arb'orr9 and a cam disk? Whichis peripherally stepped, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When the lug 10-y of thearm 11 rests against 'the peripheryof the cam disk 7, the clockwork at once rbegins to rua,

start being rendered positive by the action of 'V Atth'e termination of the vforty minuteperiod, the shoulderV 41 passes the lug lOand the arm 11 swings inward until stopped by the stepl2, thereby bringing the arm 15 into touch with the contact;20 and giving the first dimming to the lights. At the end of a period of about ten minutes, the shoulder 43 passes Athe lug 10Vand they arm 11 swings inwardv again tothe step 44, and so presents the arm 15 into touch with the contact 19;. thus further dimming the light, which. processie repeated if thereu are more thany two stages of Y dimming. At the end. of a final period, vthe lu-g 10 is passed by the shouldergl andA swings into'the deep slot 46, thereby carry,-v

ing the arm 15 to its limiting stop 17, and',k

cutting all current from the bulbs 35.

Whenv the. armll makes this last movement, the spring wire 36 is put into engagement with lthe balance wheel 37, and the clock ceases further action'. f

Upon the approach ofnight, when it is desired to give thepoultry an eveningy lunch, the poultrym'an swings the handle 13 over .toy th'elstop 14;, and thereby moves the arms Vll and 15 to theposition for full illumination; the lug 10 being chamfered and both theportion'hlf? and the arm 11 being resilient to; permit the movement. rlhen thelug 10 passes the linger 17 and lis held by: the peripheryof the disk 7, and the spring wire 3G having started the clockwork into operation, full current is switched tothe bulbs 3'5and the hen house remains fully illuminated for the period permittedby the disk 7,V as above described.AVV n s Y By having the clockwork run only an. hour a day, instead ofva full'twenty-four ho`ursit becomes yunnecessary to wind` it morefrequently than every threel weeks or so. This not only saves the time required for winding',

lili) as well as the Ywear of the clock, but reduces proportionately the chances of forgetting to wind it, with' the consequent failure of the clockvto shut off vthe light.,r Y, y p The 'base is preferably formed with vertical side pieces 50 each provided with a Vr'ecess `open above, `down into which the re'- sistance element 1 can be. slidV and rsuitably supported. f y' What I claim asY my invention is:

1. In a current control, thecombinatio'n of a switchfarml, -a plural-ity ofcifrcuit contacts,

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a resistance having different sections thereof in circuit with said contacts, yielding means urging said arm into engagement with said contacts, and clockwork acting to restrain said arm from said engagements, the clockwork having a plurality of t-imed restraints, whereby different degrees of resistance are successively cut into the circuit.

' 2. In a current control, the combination of a switch arm, a plurality of circuit contacts cooperating therewith, a resistance having different sections in circuit with said contacts, yielding means urging said arm into engagement with said contacts, a clock having a cam disk mounted on the arbor of its minute hand,

said cam having a plurality of steps in the.

periphery, and means bearing against said periphery restraining said arm from said engagements.

3. In a current control, the combination of a switch arm, a contact co-operating therewith and directly connected with one pole of the circuit, a resistance connected with one pole of the circuit, a second contact connected with said resistance and also co-operating with said arm, yielding means urging said arm into engagement with said contacts, and

- a clock adapted for restraining said arm from said engagements at different periods, said arm being connected with the other pole of said circuit.

4. A current control comprising a resistance element having several taps, contact connected with a tap at one end and also with one pole of the circuit, a switch arm co-operating with said contact, a plurality of other contacts co--operating with said arm and adapted to be variously connected with the others of said taps, said arm being connected with the other pole of said circuit, and adapted to co-operate with all of said contacts, and time-controlled means for moving said arm from the first contact to each of the others in successive periods of time.

.5. The combination of a rheostat including a resistor, a circuit-controller having a plurality of iXed contact members connected with diierent sections of said resistor, a switch arm movable over said contact members in succession, means biasing said switch arm for movement over said contact members from a circuit-closed position to a circuitopening position, manual means for moving said switch arm in the opposite direction against said biasing means, and time-controlled mechanism having means to control the movement of said switch arm under operation of said biasing means, said switch arm being movable manually free rom'control of said time-controlled mechanism.

6. `'Ihe combination of a rheostat including a resistor', a circuit-controller having a plurality of fixed contact members connected with different sections of said resistor, a switch arm movable over said contact members in succession, means biasing said switch arm for movement over said contact members from a circuit-closed position to a circuit-opening position, manual means for moving said switch arm in the opposite direction against said biasing means, and timecontrolled mechanism having means to control the movement of said switch arm under operation of said biasing means, said switch arm being movable manually free from control of said time-controlled mechanism, said time-controlled mechanism also including means to permit a rapid movement of said switcharm when interrupting the circuit at said fixed contact members.

7. The combination of a rheostat including a sectional resistor, a circuit-controller having a plurality of fixed contact members, a switch arm movable over said contact members in succession, switching means arranged to connect some of said contact members at will with selected ones of a larger number of sections of said resistor, means biasing said switch arm for movement over said contact members from a circuit-closing position to a circuit-opening position, manual means for moving said switch arm in the opposite direction against said biasing means, and timecontrolled mechanism having means for controlling the movement of said switch arm under action of said biasing means.

8. The combination of a circuit-controller having a movable controller-arm, means biasing said arm for movement in a circuitopening direction, manual means to move said arm in a circuit-closing direction against said biasing means, time-controlled mechanism having means to delay the circuit-opening movement of said arm including a movable time-controlled member having a recess therein in which said arm is held by said biasing means in the circuit-opening position of said arm, and means to hold said arm from immediately re-entering said recess after it has been moved manually out thereof at least until said member has moved the entrance of said recess away from said arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of February, 1927.

' JOSEPH B. HARRIMAN. 

